Chapter 275

Chapter 275
Chapter 275: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

Lion’s head began to spin at a dizzying pace.

‘I need to stay sharp.’

The opponent standing right in front of him.

Rikschel proved to be the most observant of all the rivals he had encountered thus far.

And it wasn’t simply because he was a younger sibling; his intellect was acute, and he acted with decisiveness, making it impossible for Lion to anticipate his next move.

Furthermore…

‘He cares so deeply; he’s bound to worry endlessly.’

Lion was convinced there was a specific reason his grandfather had withheld the news.

Gulp.

Lion reflexively swallowed his mounting anxiety, eager to speak before an awkward silence could form.

“Of course. Have you been well? Was Elvia doing well too? Have you been well yourself?”

“Yes. I have remained in good health while managing the duties assigned by the Family Head. Naturally, I’ve made sure to rest properly as well.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful! Let’s head inside first.”

“Yes.”

Lion moved with every ounce of casual grace he could muster.

Only moments earlier, he had rejoiced at the prospect of returning home, yet now every step felt like walking across fragile ice.

Naturally, only Lion—harboring a guilty secret—felt such dread.

“Huff, huff.”

Pus, overjoyed to escape the stifling confines of the Magic Tower and return to familiar grounds, darted across the lawn like a shot from a bow.

“Pus! It’s been quite a while since I last saw you!”

“My goodness, your coat has gotten even softer!”

By this point, it appeared his following among the household staff had expanded even further.

‘…This is not the moment for distractions.’

Lion waved briefly at Pus and redirected his thoughts.

First of all, Rikschel remained entirely unaware of the recent events that had befell Lion.

‘He most likely believes I spent my time within the Great Barrier before heading straight to Elvia’s estate.’

Fortunately, spinning that particular narrative seemed straightforward enough. At that exact moment, his brother spoke.

“Did you swap out your gloves?”

“Pardon?”

“The pattern differs from your usual pair.”

“Ah, I experimented with crafting various items while staying with Elvia.”

“I see. By the way, I understand you haven’t eaten yet. The Head Chef has prepared an elaborate feast, so shall we proceed together?”

“……”

“Brother?”

“Ah, yes! I’m genuinely eager to see what dishes await us. Hahaha. Let’s go.”

Muttering under his breath about how nothing surpassed home-cooked meals, Lion directed his steps toward the kitchens.

“……”

Meanwhile, Rikschel, catching the tail end of that internal monologue, cast a sidelong glance at Lion.

‘He supposedly relished Elvia’s culinary creations to his absolute fill, yet he yearns for home cooking?’

His brother had always held a marked fondness for the food Elvia prepared.

Indeed, Elvia’s kitchen skills were exceptional.

She excelled at everything, ranging from delicate pastries to hearty main courses.

‘Of course, the dishes my brother prepares himself align slightly better with my own preferences.’

That conclusion was likely born of his own biased affection.

Even so, it was highly improbable that someone would genuinely miss domestic cooking immediately after partaking in Elvia’s hospitality.

However…

‘Brother holds a rather deep fondness for the Head Chef.’

Strange as it was, it remained a harmless eccentricity.

And then there was another thought.

‘Elvia must have endured a fair share of difficulty as well.’

Realistically, it was unlikely that his brother, possessing such a headstrong and distinct personality, would have remained idle upon setting foot in a new domain.

‘Now that I observe him closely, he appears somewhat slender.’

As Rikschel automatically scrutinized Lion, their eyes locked.

“Are you perhaps not genuinely hungry and merely compelling yourself to eat?”

“Not at all. I was quite hungry as well.”

“Then let us make haste.”

“Yes.”

I must have stared far too intently.

That was quite rude of me toward my brother.

Rikschel withdrew his gaze and accompanied him toward the dining hall.

And upon arrival…

“Goodness!”

“Did the Head Chef get a bit too carried away?”

Dishes were stacked like miniature hills across the table.

Alongside exquisite delicacies, several recipes Lion had previously shared in passing were clearly visible.

Wisps of steam still rose from the food, fresh and hot enough to make even the nervous Lion’s mouth water.

“Shall we begin?”

“Yes.”

Lion promptly popped a thick medallion of steak into his mouth.

“Mmm!”

What more needed to be said?

The already savory meat blossomed into a divine flavor profile under Head Chef Alex’s masterful touch.

From the crisp, dark brown sear emanated a fragrant whisper of herbs and butter, while each bite released a burst of rich juices from the crimson interior.

‘How long has it been since I’ve enjoyed a proper meal like this!’

In truth, another factor contributed to Lion’s profound emotional reaction.

During his confinement in the Magic Tower… he had subsisted largely on bland, low-sodium invalid meals.

Granted, toward the latter half of his stay, he had transitioned to healthier dishes resembling normal food…

‘None of it ever tasted quite this magnificent.’

Regardless of how well-provisioned the Magic Tower might have been, it could never rival the artistry of the Asteri Mansion’s Head Chef.

“It appears to suit your palate.”

Rikschel smiled with quiet contentment, observing his brother eat with such hearty enthusiasm.

It felt deeply rewarding to know he hadn’t reined in the Head Chef whenever the man grew overly ambitious, and had even offered subtle encouragement.

Since his brother had returned after an extended absence, shouldn’t a familiar flavor be elevated into something slightly more memorable?

In truth, there were countless things he wished to discuss.

He wanted to talk over recent events, and he secretly wanted to indulge in some leisurely conversation.

‘Since he’s enjoying his meal so thoroughly, I mustn’t spoil the atmosphere.’

Rikschel simply resumed eating with a satisfied expression.

Yet…

‘Did he genuinely prefer those gloves?’

A minor puzzle remained in the back of his mind: his brother hadn’t removed his gloves even while dining.

That wasn’t all.

His outer garments, which he usually wore with a casual disregard for neatness, were impeccably aligned, and his collar buttons were fastened all the way to the throat.

While such attire was entirely natural for a nobleman…

“……Why are you staring at me in that manner?”

“Ah. I apologize. I simply felt your attire today differed from your usual habits.”

Good grief, you’re more perceptive than a wraith.

A cold bead of sweat tracked down his spine.

No… honestly, a phantom felt far less intimidating than Rikschel.

* I have this distinct sensation that someone was just dragging my reputation through the mud.
* Hey. Care to grill me some meat later on? You can use that Spirit Stone to cook it, right?

Tiamatrak chimed in with ghostly intuition, chattering incessantly.

Bolstered by that distraction, Lion recovered his composure, offered a sheepish chuckle, and delivered a plausible excuse.

“Ah, well… I figured I ought not present myself in my usual careless fashion for the upcoming Emperor’s Birthday Banquet, so I’m practicing a bit of caution beforehand.”

“To think you would actually take such matters into consideration—you are truly remarkable.”

Rikschel felt genuine admiration, knowing full well how intensely his brother detested anything restrictive.

For him to apply such deliberate effort in this area…!

‘…….’

Yet why did something still feel deeply… amiss?

His return had seemingly transpired without a hitch.

Yet an uneasy nagging persisted.

His clothing. His muttered monologues.

Why did every conclusion he drew keep tripping over the word ‘however’?

‘Is he concealing something from me?’

Then again, Rikschel might simply be entirely mistaken.

Had the Family Head not maintained absolute silence on the matter as well?

Instead…

“Now that the topic has arisen, you achieved a rather monumental breakthrough within the Great Barrier, didn’t you?”

“Me?”

“Indeed. You pointed out a detail even the Family Head had overlooked, enabling the structural flaw within the Great Barrier to be repaired. You mapped the flow of the land using indigenous flora, correct?”

Listening to Rikschel’s summary, Lion exhaled a quiet breath.

‘So that was the official version of events.’

In short, the report claimed that a massive concentration of Demonic Energy had accumulated beneath the barren earth where Great Duke Dragnas’s spirit lay interred.

Lion had supposedly uncovered this anomaly through minor observation, and the issue was now officially resolved.

‘It certainly makes for a tidy narrative.’

Lion shook his head, doing his best to push thoughts of his dimensional inventory out of his mind.

“Nonsense. How could I have managed such a feat? I merely offered a casual observation.”

“It was undeniably a remarkable discovery. So much so that visiting nobles began calling upon the mansion simply to catch a glimpse of you. That was the primary reason the Family Head dispatched an escort to Elvia’s estate, was it not?”

“Ahaha….”

It appeared his grandfather had gone to great lengths to construct a consistent story for Rikschel.

‘If even he is kept to this level of awareness…’

Strict directives must have been issued throughout the entire household.

Furthermore, any leaks threatening to reach the underworld or the second prince had likely been ruthlessly suppressed.

Such an airtight cover-up was only possible because it was orchestrated by his grandfather.

“Thanks to all that, I was able to rest quite thoroughly.”

“Is that so? Did no visitors happen to disturb that sanctuary?”

“I doubt anyone would find it easy to locate, would they?”

With Elvia present, even had Lion actually stayed at the villa, unauthorized guests would have been turned away.

‘Still, this seems like a favorable resolution all around, doesn’t it?’

He had originally anticipated that his secrets would unravel right there at the dinner table.

Lion exhaled a long sigh of relief inward.

His stomach was full, the deception had held together thus far, and the moment to withdraw was approaching.

‘Even so, I ought to keep a low profile for a while…’

Lion had crossed paths with all manner of dangerous individuals, yet none proved quite as formidable to handle as Rikschel.

He supposed it was because dealing with family required a different kind of armor, but still.

Regardless.

“Well then, I believe I shall head off to wash up and get some rest.”

“Ah…”

Rikschel, who had been planning to prolong the evening with tea and a battery of questions, could not entirely mask his disappointment.

Yet he knew better than to throw a tantrum.

Ample time remained before the Emperor’s Birthday Banquet, and any unanswered questions could easily be addressed then.

Besides.

‘…This remains deeply suspicious.’

However, confronting him aggressively right now would only prompt his brother to deploy another evasive maneuver.

‘I will simply need to investigate quietly.’

Reaching that internal verdict, Rikschel pushed back his chair.

“Understood. You must be exhausted from your travels, so rest is certainly the priority.”

“Right. I’ll take my leave.”

“Oh, and Brother.”

“Hm?”

“Would you be willing to share breakfast with me tomorrow morning as well? To be frank… Father was away for quite some time as well…”

Fading his voice off deliberately while offering a sideways glance, Rikschel watched as Lion’s eyes widened in sudden realization.

“Of course! You must have felt quite solitary. You must have been terribly lonely.”

“I was not lonely.”

“Fair enough. But you must have grown bored with no one around the estate for so long.”

Lion inwardly struck his forehead with the palm of his hand.

‘No, now that I think about it, my actions make it look like I abandoned a child and skipped town!’

Mature and brilliant though he might be, Rikschel was still legally a minor.

More importantly, it wasn’t as if being left entirely alone was a comforting or familiar status quo for him.

Furthermore, Elvia had been away, and his grandfather was perpetually occupied.

Even Lion, who usually functioned like a permanent fixture of the household, had been absent for a considerable duration.

He had even departed with all the household beasts in tow!

Granted, Barg and Urheel had remained behind, but those two likely dedicated ninety-nine percent of their attention simply to monitoring Rikschel.

‘Good grief, that possibility entirely slipped my mind.’

A sudden wave of guilt washed over him for trying to slip past everyone with evasive half-truths from the start.

Of course, that realization didn’t mean he intended to confess everything unprompted.

‘At the very least, I can make an effort to share meals together for the next few days.’

He would have preferred to venture out if circumstances allowed…

‘Haa, I really shouldn’t invite any further complications.’

Even though his internal injuries had mended, Lion remained fundamentally a patient.

A patient walking around with a metaphorical ticking time bomb in his chest.

Even if the secondhand hand of that clock wasn’t ticking visibly at the moment, he intended to remain securely within the confines of the mansion, knowing there was no telling when the countdown might resume.

‘Will the Emperor’s Birthday Banquet go off without a hitch?’

His grandfather had explicitly told him not to fret over that particular hurdle, so he would leave it in those capable hands for now.

Regardless!

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“Yes. Do sleep well, Brother.”

And precisely as everyone besides Lion had anticipated.

Lion’s elaborate deception crumbled entirely during dinner just two short days later.

“Care to offer an explanation, Brother?”

—

*Single specific follow-up question:* Would you like me to adjust the tone of any specific dialogue exchange to better match the original character dynamics?